Community briefs: July 2, 2014

It’s garlic harvesting time

Classroom in Bloom’s annual garlic pull will be Wednesday (July 9) from 6 – 8 p.m. at the garden between the elementary school and high school. The free event includes harvesting garlic plus food and live music.

Wine festival is back

Wineries from around the state will be represented at the Winthrop Wine Festival on July 12 at Mack Lloyd Park from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Cost is $15 and food will be available. For more information, call 996-2888. The event is sponsored by Family Wineries of Washington State and the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce.

Farm Camp for kids

A few spots are left in the Farm Camp offered by Local 98856 in Twisp for kids ages 3 – 6. Cost for the camp, scheduled for July 29 – 31, is $119. For registration information, stop by the store or call 997-0978.

Learn food preservation

Okanogan County Extension is offering “Preserve the Taste of Summer,” a series of free online classes in food preservation. The eight lessons are designed for beginning and experienced canners alike. Lessons can be viewed at the user’s convenience. To register, go to preservesummer.cahnrs.wsu.edu. For more information, call (509) 422-7245.

Preparing for wildfires

Okanogan Conservation District offers a free Firewise workshop in Omak on July 12 from 10 a.m. – noon at the Big R conference room, 1227 Koala Drive. Local fire managers will discuss ways to prepare one’s home and property for wildfire, and how to react when a wildfire is in the area. For more information, visit www.okanogancd.org/firewise.

Paint bowls for Room One

Two more opportunities to paint bowls that will be used at Room One’s annual soup dinner are coming up: On Friday (July 4) during the Arts Festival at the town park in Twisp from 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., and on Aug. 8 at the Mazama Country Inn from 4 – 8 p.m. Suggested donation is $10. For more information, call 997-2050.

Exchange students need hosts

Host families are being sought for international exchange students ages 15 – 18 during the 2014-15 high school year. To learn more, call Dawn Green at (208) 447-8118. Families interested in hosting this year must apply by Aug. 15.

Women’s outdoor workshop

Registration is open for Washington Outdoor Women’s (WOW) annual fall workshop, dedicated to bringing together women and girls (aged 9 – 12) for a weekend of fishing, hunting and outdoor-skills education. This year’s workshop is scheduled Sept. 12 – 14 at Camp Waskowitz in North Bend. For information about registration, see WOW’s website, www.washingtonoutdoorwomen.org, or call (425) 455-1986.

Workshop on planned giving

The Nonprofit Practices Institute, a partnership between the Community Foundation of NCW and the Icicle Fund, is hosting a workshop on how to build a planned giving program for nonprofit organizations on July 15 from 9 a.m. – 2 :30 p.m. at the Wenatchee Valley College theater. Registration fee is $15 and includes lunch. For more information, go to www.cfncw.org/plannedgiving101, or call (509) 663-7716.

Naturalization information

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will visit Omak on July 24 to help people understand how to become a permanent resident, and how to naturalize. The free event will be from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Omak library. For more information, call (415) 987-0191.